Chapter 29

Alice looked at me expectantly waiting to hear me tell her why I was letting her know about my income and the extent of my wealth.

"Katy and I have been discussing your situation, Alice. It seems to us that you are going to be part of our family for the foreseeable future. We are glad that this is the case, since we are both very fond of you. Isn't that so?" I said turning to Katy.

"Yes it is," Katy replied. "Since you broke up with John both Ellie and I have drawn very close to you. I know you had some hesitation about accepting my mum and dad's hospitality but I am glad you did. Having lost your mum Peter and I want you to feel that you are now part of our family and I think Joe and Isa would want that too."

I was watching to see how Alice was reacting to the things Katy little speech and I could see she was a bit confused by what we were saying.

"Alice, I think what we are trying to say is that we want to adopt you into the family and not have you think that you are just lodging with us. The difference in thinking of it this way is to realise that as a member of the family you should know the resources of our family are available to you in the same way that they are available to Katy and me. We want you to know if you avail yourself of this it does not put you in debt to us in any way"

Since this is the case," Katy chipped in, "Peter wants to make you an offer so that you are on the same footing as the rest of us."

Looking at us apprehensively Alice asked, "What kind of offer?"

"I have spoken to my lawyer and my accountant about a proposal I want to put to you and they have agreed it was feasible though the details have still to be worked out. Currently you get a grant from the Scottish Government and your fees are paid but this is still going to leave you with a rather large burden of debt at the end of your studies, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," She replied.

"I want to try and reduce that debt but I don't want to do it in a way won't affect your grant. So my accountant is making inquiries to see how much of a scholarship I could set up for you without affecting it. When we have worked out how much this can be then I will make it available to you. This will lessen the amount you have to borrow. In fact if you have to borrow anything, then I hope you would come to me and I will give you an interest free loan which you can take your time paying off."

"I couldn't do that. I don't want to sponge on you. You are all doing enough for me already."

"What the family is doing for its newest member," I said with a laugh, "is not a burden to us. We can well afford it and it will give us a great deal of pleasure we are able to do so. If you were our sister it would be done naturally so just think of yourself in that way and not as a sponger."

Katy went over and put her arms around her and kissed her.

"Alice we want to share with you the things that we are lucky enough to have and we want you to see the pleasure you give us just from being with us and allowing us to share in your life. This is a source of Joy. Don't you dare feel indebted in any way."

"That's easy for you to say." Alice said half sobbing and half giggling at the same time. "You are the ones who are doing all the giving."

"No we aren't" I said, "Just think of the status we will have next year when folk see us hanging out with one of the cleverest, one of the most beautiful and sexy girls in the whole of the university.

"I am not all that beautiful, and right at this moment I don't feel all that sexy either. Alice retorted. In this case it doesn't matter what you feel," Katy giggled, "You just have to walk into a room and every boy's head turns and they drool at the sight of you."

"They don't!" Alice protested.

"Yes they do and as a male, even one who is spoken for, I am among them." I laughed. "The only reason you are not rushed off your feet by their attention is the fact that you are so beautiful and sexy it scares them"

"That is just as well, since I don't want to get involved with anyone when I am feeling as vulnerable as I do at the moment. I am really glad I have you two and your family to give me an anchor right now. I just feel an emotional mess."

"We are glad that we are able to be here for you." Katy told her. "We want you to know that we will always want that privilege. There will probably be times in the future when having your love and friendship may be an anchor for us if we need it."

Alice was quite emotional at this declaration of our affection for her and the fact that we were offering top treat her as one of the family. She was giggly and tearful at the same time. The result of this was a group hug and we all held on to one another for some time. Eventually we broke off with kisses and cuddles from each one of us to the other. When finally the emotions evoked by this died down Alice thanked both of us for the way we had received her into the family.

"I am very grateful for your offer Peter and I would like a bit of time to consider it. Since Joe and Isa both know what you are doing I would also like to talk to them about it. I just want to make sure that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet before I make up my mind."

"There is no rush," I responded. "It will be some time before the details are worked out and we have still to find out whether or not it is feasible."

At that Katy decided that we all needed a cup of tea to get our conversation onto more normal and less emotional things so we adjourned to the kitchen and she put the kettle on.

Later that week Alice captured the attention of Joe and Isa when we were not around and she discussed with them the events she had talked us about. They both assured her that they, like us, sought to embrace her as a member of the family. Joe tried to emphasise this by going on to say,

"If this had happened even three of four years ago and we had known you then as well as we do now, we would not only have taken you into our family, we would have asked you if you wanted us to adopt you and had you been willing we would have done so."

"That's true," Isa chipped in. "There is no need for that now since you are an adult in your own right, and can make the decision for yourself whether or not you want the status of an integral member of our family. If you wish to do so then we will assume full responsibility for helping you and assisting you to fulfil your dream in the same way we will do it for Katy"

"To all intents and purposes this means we will treat you and care for just as we would have done if we had adopted you. You are not a burden you are a blessing and we will be very happy if you accept what we can offer," Joe confirmed.

Alice later related to us what Joe and Isa had said and told us that this led to another bout of hugging and kissing. Alice said that she was overwhelmed by their kindness and concern. We said we knew this would be their reaction and told her we were pleased that she seemed to accept what was being offered.

"I not only accept it I am flabbergasted by it. When all of you said you would help and support me through the traumatic events of my mother's illness and death, I never in my wildest dreams imagined you would all go this far. I will need to keep pinching myself to realise you are really doing this and that I am not actually dreaming.

Later that week Joe and Isa said that as I was now the same age as Alice, and Katy was now sixteen approaching seventeen, we should start thinking about celebrating our expected success in our Highers with all of us going on holiday together. Having shared holidays with the MacLeans at their villa in Spain Joe and Isa told us that they were thinking of buying a house in the south of France.

They were currently having their lawyer look at the French laws of inheritance and all the other intricacies of buying a property there. If they got this all sorted out by Easter they would then go and look at possible houses during the holiday. This would mean that it would be available for us in the summer if we wished to use it.

This was very good news for all of us. When Katy Alice and I discussed the possibilities this held out we were really excited by the prospect. Later on I got together with Joe and suggested that I could make a contribution to it if this would mean we could increase our sights on the kind of property we could afford.

"That won't be necessary. Your aunt and I can well afford to get what we have in mind. It would only complicate things from an inheritance point of view. If we buy it things are straightforward. Katy and her Sister will each inherit a share of the equity. They will then have to decide whether to keep it or sell it and split the proceeds. The end result is that you will share in it also if things proceed as we expect."

I was happy to accept his line of reasoning and actually was pleased to know that they were indeed very well off as a couple. Learning of my offer, Isa later told me that since my father came from a well off family my mother had insisted on the death of her father that she keep his house and most of the rest of his estate. She laughed and told me that I would have been even wealthier if half of that had gone to my mum as it should have done by rights.

She also informed me that Joe's business of which she was now a working partner was very prosperous and they both earned a very good living from it. If things went on this way until they reached retirement then they would be able to sell it as a going concern for a seven figure sum which would provide them with financial security in what they hoped would be a long and happy retirement.